Municipal Elections Strengthen Poland’s Governing PO Party

Poland held the first round of municipal elections on November 21. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform (PO) gained a stronger mandate to rule, while the strongest opposition party, former Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński’s Law and Justice (PiS), has lost voters since the previous municipal elections in 2006.

The PO took 31.4% of total regional assembly ballots, compared with 27.2% four years ago. The PiS managed 23.1% compared with 25.1% in 2006. The map below shows that the PO outperformed the PiS in 13 out of 16 provinces last weekend.

Tusk's party appears to be advancing eastward. In 2006, the PiS beat the PO in the country's seven easternmost provinces; the PO has now taken the advantage in the four grey colored provinces. (Source: National Electoral Commission of Poland)